Mistborn (The Mistborn Trilogy #1)
Brandon Sanderson
Genre: fantasy, science fiction, fiction
Synopsis:
The mists rule the night.
The Lord Ruler owns the world.
Once, a hero arose to save the world. A young man with a mysterious heritage courageously challenged the darkness that strangled the land.
He failed.
For a thousand years since, the world has been a wasteland of ash and mist ruled by the immortal emperor known as the Lord Ruler. Every revolt has failed miserably.
Yet somehow, hope survives. Hope that dares to dream of ending the empire and even the Lord Ruler himself. A new kind of uprising is being planned, one built around the ultimate caper, one that depends on the cunning of a brilliant criminal mastermind and the determination of an unlikely heroine, a street urchin who must learn to master Allomancy, the power of a Mistborn.
About the Author:
Brandon Sanderson grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska. He lives in Utah with his wife and children and teaches creative writing at Brigham Young University. In addition to completing the Wheel of Time, he is the author of such bestsellers as the Mistborn Trilogy, Warbreaker, The Alloy of Law, The Way of Kings, The Rithmatist, and Steelheart. He won the 2013 Hugo Award for The Emperor's Soul, a novella set in the world of his acclaimed first novel, Elantris. For behind-the-scenes information on all his books, visit brandonsanderson.com.
My Review (Warning: May Contain Spoilers!!!):
Oh my... What a magnificent read; one that keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire time, eagerly waiting to turn the page and see what happens next. Sanderson's writing is vibrant and deep, making the reader feel like they are in the middle of the rebellion with the characters.
I need to talk about the creatures! The Inquisitors give me chills, literally. The gruesome description of their appearance, with metal spikes in place of their eyes is something one could only imagine from a nightmare or a horror film. Its brilliant, because I was actually creeped out and a little scared by them. Rightly so! Also, the mistwraiths?? I pictured a mutated, lumbering beast the size of an elephant with limbs and heads of different animals sticking out of its bulk. *Shivers*. I really hope these creatures play a bigger role in the other novels, because they deserve more spotlight, and I have a feeling there is more to their story. Sanderson does not strike me as the sort of author to throw in a creature without giving them a history; his writing style is reminiscent of Tolkien for his ability to completely create a new world with new life species, and for everything in that world to mesh together so coherently.
I also need to comment on the magic. Kudos, Sanderson, for developing a whole new ideology for magic that I have not seen in fantasy novels before. I loved learning along with Vin how Allomancy worked. It was a really good way to introduce the reader to the magic style, rather than throw them directly into a story with an experienced Mistborn or Misting. It made me feel less uncomfortable about being unsure of how the some part of the magic worked, because Vin would also be unsure, and it felt like we learned it together. I also really liked how Vin started learning past what her instructors knew of the magic, leaving sooooo much more room for development in the next novels! I'm super excited!
I really enjoyed Sanderson's ability to feed my guilty pleasure with a little bit of romance too. *Swoons*. My favourite novels and authors are those that can combine a kick-butt protagonist, and developed fantastical story line, while still sprinkling in a little romance here and there. I hope their story continues in the next novels. Vin's self-conscious, introverted, tough-around-the-edges character mixed with the high nobility of Elend's character is actually perfect, and I impatiently await more.
Kelsier's character. Why Sanderson? Just why? It hurts my heart. Without giving too much away: at some points I hated his snarky and conceited attitude, but at the same time one of my favourite characters. His loyalty for the cause and the skaa is astounding; and I feel like Vin looked up to him as a father figure almost, as well as a friend and instructor.
I could go on and on about how much I loved this novel, but I'll keep it short.
Overall, 5/5 stars, and being added to my list of all-time favourite reads.
Highly recommended for fantasy lovers!